Olivier Chapman joins IMW as Programme and Development Manager

24 December 2014

The Institute of Masters of Wine is delighted to announce that Olivier (Olly) Chapman has been appointed as Programme and Development Manager, and is due to start on 12 January 2015.

The Programme and Development Manager is a new role in the Institute. Olly will responsible for the delivery of the Study Programme and Master of Wine Examination worldwide for the 300-plus candidates currently preparing for the exams. He will also be responsible for building the Membership of the Institute by attracting high calibre potential Members and supporting them through the process of becoming Masters of Wine.

Penny Richards, Executive Director, said: “We are very pleased that Olly will be joining us in this important new role. We are expecting him to bring his experience from the international education field and enthusiasm – plus some new ideas – to his portfolio. The Institute has a larger student body than ever before, and the international reach and reputation of the Masters of Wine demand the highest quality in the services we deliver to students and Members. I am sure that Olly will be a great asset in our efforts to excel.”

Olivier (Olly) Chapman holds dual French-English nationality and studied for his undergraduate degree at the University of London Institute in Paris. Since then, Olly has worked in Further and Higher Education, most recently as Head of Institutions Assurance at the University of London. Here, Olly led on the management of the University’s partnership arrangements with overseas institutions, including teaching centres and government regulatory bodies. Olly travelled extensively in this role, meeting students and staff in a range of countries and regions, from the Caribbean and the US, Europe and Asia, with regular visits to Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, and Bangladesh.

Olly says: “I am really excited to be joining the Institute. I have been finding out more about the Institute’s global reach and reputation, and look forward to being able to contribute to the growth and development of the Study Programme so that it continues to meet the needs and expectations of all those associated with the Institute. My immediate intention is to join some of the residential seminars and talk to as many students and MWs as possible. I hope to build on the excellent work that has taken place over the years, and bring experience and ideas from working for a global higher education institution.”

Family of Twelve offer New Zealand prize to MW students

19 December 2014

New Zealand’s Family of Twelve, a fraternity made up of some of the country’s most prestigious and enduring artisanal wineries, is offering an unforgettable scholarship for one student in the Institute of Master of Wine’s Study Programme.

The brand new Family of Twelve Essay Scholarship, which was announced by Sir George Fistonich of Villa Maria at the recent IMW Seminar in New Zealand, offers students a privileged insight into wine-making at all twelve of the leading NZ properties in the Family.

William Hoare, General Manager of the Fromm Winery and Chairman of the Family of Twelve, said: “The Family of Twelve is excited to offer the MW Scholarship for 2015. We feel the students have a unique perspective on the wine industry of today and we look forward to hearing their views through their essays. But even more than that, we believe the wine industry is built on long term relationships, and we look forward to forming a working relationship with the scholarship winner that we can continue to build on over the coming years.”

Penny Richards, Executive Director of the Institute of Masters of Wine, said: ‘We’re thrilled to be able to offer the Institute’s global students such an exciting opportunity. It comes only a few weeks after an immensely successful Study Programme seminar in Wellington – our first in New Zealand – to which 25 students from across the world came to enhance their preparations for next year’s Master of Wine exams’.

This coming academic year the Scholarship will include a 10-12 day tour of the twelve Family of Twelve properties throughout the major wine-growing regions of New Zealand. The winner will enjoy special tours of the wineries, and tastings and discussion with their principals and winemakers.

The Scholarship will also include air fares from the winner’s country of origin to New Zealand.

The Scholarship is open to any student worldwide who is in the second year of the IMW Study Programme. The trip itself will be taken in May or June 2015, depending on the winner’s schedule.

Selection will be by essay of between 1,500 and 2,000 words in length, addressing one of the following two topics:

Is fine wine an old people’s game? If so, how does one bring the younger generation into spending their hard earned income on better bottles?

Or:

New Zealand has entered many global markets with great success, particularly with Sauvignon Blanc. How does it now build and strengthen its reputation as a producer of fine wine?

The deadline for essay submissions from students is 15 January 2015, and the winner will be announced shortly thereafter.

The Institute of Masters of Wine thanks the Family of Twelve for offering this unique learning opportunity to our students.